Susquehanna University in Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania, is launching a new Women’s Leadership Initiative. The chair and vice chair of the board of trustees have pledged to donate $250,000 to the initiative for each of the next four years. But their gift is contingent on the university raising $500,000 for each of the next four years for the initiative. Fully funded, the Women’s Leadership Initiative will be endowed with a $3 million start-up fund.
Once established the aim of the Women’s Leadership Initiative is to:
- Provide every woman student with up to two university-supported, professional opportunities during her four years at Susquehanna.
- Support a robust, four-year preparation plan for every woman student that includes up to two funded opportunities for conference and workshop participation, career treks into major cities, job shadowing experiences to connect with alumni, and the chance to gain skills in areas like public speaking, personal financial planning and work/life balance.
- Create meaningful connections with at least five alumni, per student, by graduation.
Jonathan D. Green, president of Susquehanna University notes that “for three decades, women have been enrolling in college at higher rates than men and exceeding men in overall educational attainment. Yet across all industries, women represent less than 50 percent of leadership roles and are paid only 74 cents on the dollar compared to men. Through the Women’s Leadership Initiative, Susquehanna will address its role in this societal disparity.”
Susquehanna University in central Pennsylvania, enrolls about 2,200 undergraduate students. Women make up 56 percent of the student body, according to the latest U.S. Department of Education statistics.